The Flu
by Lord Mesron
Summary: The residence of the Summers house all have the flu and its up to Xander to play doctor. Added a 2nd Chapter
1. The Flu

1. The characters from the Buffy: The Vampire Slayer show belong to WB (and/or UPN), Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, Sandollar and Joss Whedon. The others are original characters created by myself.  
  
The Flu  
  
by Scott R. Barnett  
  
It was Wednesday afternoon and Xander was feeling great. He had just landed the biggest construction job of his career. He had been working for Spirelli Construction for three years now, ever since he had graduated from high school. Four months ago he had been promoted to foreman. The promotion had included a raise, a fourth week of vacation and bonuses. It also allowed him to move into a nice apartment in a good part of town, and afford the new car that he was driving. As for the contract he had won, it was to build the new Sunnydale High School. Hi boss, Jerry Spirelli, was thrilled with his work and had given him the rest of the day off. He was now on his way over to Casa de Summers to give his friends the good news.  
  
His four closest friends lived in the Summers house. After Joyce had passed away six months ago, Willow and Tara had moved in to help Buffy with raising Dawn. He loved all of the ladies. He thought of them as his girls. While he had his own apartment, he could be found regularly at the Summers residence, or the girls would visit him at his apartment. He thought of Willow, Tara and Dawn as sisters. As for Buffy, well he had been in love with here since he had met her in their Sophomore year of high school.  
  
When he got to the house he let himself in with the extra key that Buffy had given him. He walked in and looked around for the girls. He knew that they should be there, except Dawn, who would still be in school. He didn't see them anywhere. This was odd. He sat down on the couch to wait for them to return.  
  
While he was sitting there he thought he heard a moan from the kitchen. He then heard some coughing. That sounded like it was coming from upstairs. He got up and walked into the kitchen first. When he walked in he found Buffy standing next to the counter with her head resting on it.  
  
"Buffy, what's wrong?"  
  
"Xander? You need to get out of here. It's the flu. We all have it."  
  
"I'm not going anywhere. If you all have it then you'll need someone to take care of you guys."  
  
While he was talking he walked over to her. She looked so small in the robe that she was wearing. He put his hand on her forehead.  
  
"You're burning up. You need to get back into bed."  
  
He tried to help her stand up and walk, but she just stumbled. She appeared to be quite dizzy. He reached down and picked her up in his arms. He then carried her up the stairs. When he got to her room he laid her down on her bed and pulled the covers up and over her.  
  
"Let me get a cold wash cloth."  
  
He went into the bathroom and got a wash cloth. He soaked it under cold water and then brought it back to the room and put it on her forehead.  
  
"I'll be back in a little bit. I'm going to check on the others and then run out and pick up some things. Stay in bed. I'll take care of everything."  
  
"Yes Daddy." said Buffy. She had a small smile on her face.  
  
He smiled back at her as he walked out of the room. He went back into the bathroom and got three more wash clothes. He soaked these as well.  
  
After doing this he walked into Willow and Tara's room.  
  
"Hello ladies, Dr. Xander is here."  
  
He was happy when he got a small smile out of both of them. They both looked so miserable lying there in bed. He came over and put the cold wash clothes on each of their foreheads.  
  
"I'll be back in a little bit."  
  
He then walked down to Dawn's room and repeated the procedure with the wash cloth. She was asleep so he tried not to wake her. When he was done he leaned down and kissed her gently on the cheek.  
  
He then walked out of her room and down the stairs. He looked through the kitchen to see what they had and made a list of items he had to pick up. He then picked up his jacket and walked out of the house. He got into his car and drove towards his apartment. While he was doing this he grabbed his cell phone and called his boss.  
  
"Hey Jerry."  
  
"Xander, what's up? I thought I told you to take the rest of the day off."  
  
"You did. I think I'm going to need to take a few days off though."  
  
"How come?"  
  
"You know those friends of mine that I am always talking about?"  
  
"Yeah, the four girls."  
  
"Yep. Well I went over to their house to tell them the good news about the school contract and found out that they were all down with the flu. They're all really sick and have no one to look after them. I actually had to carry Buffy up the stairs to her bed from the kitchen. I'm going to stay there for a few days and look after them."  
  
"Good to hear it kid. Take care of your friends. I'll get someone to cover for you out at the current site for the rest of the week. Anything I can do for you?"  
  
"Nah. I'm heading over to my apartment now to pack for a few days and then I'm going to the store for some food. When I was little I used to visit my friend Willow's house all the time. Whenever her Grandmother was there we would help her make Chicken Soup. I think I still remember how to do it. I figured that it might help the girls feel better, and I don't think at this point they'll be able to keep down anything solid."  
  
"Sounds like a good idea. Call Cassie if you have any questions on it. She makes really good soups."  
  
"Thanks man. See you in a week."  
  
With that he hung up and went into his apartment for his clothes.  
  
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A little while later Xander had returned to the Summers house with his bag and several grocery bags. He walked up stairs and tossed his bag into the guestroom. He then looked in on the girls and found them all sleeping. He gave each of them a kiss on their cheeks and then went back down stairs.  
  
He put the groceries away, except for the items that he needed. He took out the chicken that he had bought and washed it in the sink. He then pulled out the largest stockpot that Buffy had and placed the chicken into it. He filled up the pot with water until it was covering the bird. He then placed it onto the stove and turned on the temperature to a medium heat.  
  
While the soup was starting to heat up he quickly got out an onion and chopped it up. He put it into the soup. This was followed quickly by some carrots and celery. He then put the lid onto the pot and sat down to wait for it to simmer. After about a half-hour he lifted the lid and added some dill and parsley to it. He followed this up with a couple pinches of salt and some fresh group black pepper. He then put the lid back on. The soup still had a few hours to cook. He looked at his watch and saw that it was only three o'clock. He figured the soup would be ready by six.  
  
After putting together a quick bologna sandwich he went into the living room and sat there watching the TV for a bit. About an hour and a half later he went back into the kitchen and tasted the soup. He put a little more salt in and turned down the temperature on it.  
  
He then walked upstairs to check on the girls. When he saw that they were all awake he grabbed the thermometers that he had bought out of the bathroom and walked into Dawn's room.  
  
"Hi Dawn, how are you feeling?"  
  
"Miserable. When did you get here?"  
  
"I've been here for a few hours. Like I told the others I'm here to take care of you girls for a few days while this bug works its way out of your systems. Here, let me see what your temperature is?"  
  
With that he put the thermometer under her tongue and told her he'd be back in a few minutes. He then repeated the procedure with each of them.  
  
He then started the circuit over again with fresh wash clothed, while at the same time taking the thermometers. They're temperatures were mostly around 101. He told each of them to just yell for him if they needed anything.  
  
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At about six o'clock he took the lid off the soup and tasted it again. He declared it done and turned off the stove. He then pulled the chicken out and put it on some paper towels. He pulled off some of the chicken from the bones and put it back into the soup. He then pulled out a roasting pan and placed the rest of the bird in it. He put the pan into the oven and set the temperature for 350 degrees.  
  
He then pulled out some jars that he had seen in one of the cupboards and ladled most of the soup into them. He placed the jars into the fridge. He then ladled the rest of it into one bowl and four mugs. He tried to give the girls only the broth, as he figured they wouldn't be able to keep down the solids yet. He then grabbed a spoon and put it into the bowl.  
  
After he was done this he settled down to his bowl of soup. He figured that while theirs were cooling off a little he had time to have some himself. He happily ate the soup. It had turned out better than he had expected.  
  
When he was done he grabbed a tray off the counter and put the four mugs onto it. He also poured four glasses of warm ginger ale. He then carefully carried it all upstairs. He stopped first at Buffy's room. She was sleeping again. He hated to wake her but he figured that it was important for her to have something to eat and drink.  
  
He put the tray down on the dresser and carried a mug and glass over to her night table. He then leaned over and gently shook her.  
  
"Wake up Buffy. I have something for you to eat."  
  
"Not hungry. Feel miserable."  
  
"I know you do, but you should eat something. It's homemade chicken soup. I also brought you a glass of warm ginger ale."  
  
He helped her to sit up a little bit and then handed her the mug. She took a tentative sip of it and let out a small sigh. She then smiled up at Xander.  
  
"This tastes good. You said it was homemade?"  
  
"Yep, I just made it this afternoon. Its called Grandma Rosenberg's Chicken Soup. As a little kid I used to hang out with Willow all of the time at her house. The two of us were her grandma's official helpers when she visited and made her soup. I remembered the recipe."  
  
She continued to drink it slowly. He told her he'd be back as he had to still deliver soup and ginger ale to the others.  
  
He walked into Dawn's room next. She was already up and was reading a book. He gave her the mug and glass. She also complimented him on the soup.  
  
He then carried the last two into Willow and Tara's room. Tara was awake and was watching Willow sleep. Xander was moved by this show of affection.  
  
"Hi. Could you wake up Willow? I have some soup and ginger ale for both of you."  
  
"Sure. Wake up Willow. Xander's back."  
  
Willow slowly woke up. She looked up at Tara and smiled at her. She then gave Xander a smile. He smiled back and gave them each a mug of soup. He put the glasses down on the night table.  
  
"This tastes like Grandma's soup." said Willow.  
  
"That's because it is. I remembered the recipe and made it this afternoon while you guys were resting." replied Xander.  
  
"Wow. I'm surprised you remembered that after all these years. Next time I talk to her I'll let her know." said Willow.  
  
"This is really good Xander." said Tara.  
  
"I'm glad you like it. Enjoy it and I'll be back in a little while to pick up the dishes. Just call if you need anything." said Xander.  
  
He then walked back into Buffy's room and sat down in a chair. He just sat there and watched her drink the soup, with a smile on his face.  
  
Buffy looked up at him and saw him watching her. She was really happy that he had decided to appoint himself caretaker. She had been trying to take care of them all today, but she was just too weak to do it. It was nice to let someone else take care of you some times. She smiled at him while she continued drinking her soup.  
  
When she finished her soup she put down the mug and picked up the glass of soda. She took a small sip of it and then put it back down. He got up out of his chair and walked over to her bed. He reached down and put the back of his hand against her forehead and cheek. He could tell that she was still running a fever. He then picked up her mug and told her to get some more rest. As he walked out he told her to yell if he needed anything. He had told her that he was going to spend the night in the guestroom.  
  
He then walked around and gathered up the rest of the dishes. He took them downstairs and loaded them into the dishwasher. He then made himself another sandwich and took it with him into the living room. He sat down and watched some TV while he ate.  
  
A few hours later he turned off the set and went up stairs. After checking up on the girls he hit the sack in the guestroom.  
  
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Sometime around 2am here heard someone stumbling around in the hallway. He quickly got out of bed and walked out of the room. He saw that it was Buffy. She was leaning against the wall with one hand on her stomach.  
  
"Buffy, what's wrong?"  
  
"I feel like I have to vomit, but I'm too dizzy to get to the bathroom."  
  
"Here, let me help you."  
  
Xander put his arm around her waist and helped her to walk to the bathroom. He led her into it and held her while she leaned over the toilet. She did indeed have to vomit. When she was done he used a wet wash cloth to clean her face off. He then filled a glass with cold water and let her sip from it.  
  
When she was done he helped her back to her room. He assisted her in getting back into her bed and pulled the covers up over her. He then sat down on the edge of the bed and started brushing her hair back out of her eyes.  
  
"You really should have called for me to help you Buffy. I know that you usually like to do things on your own, but right now you're really sick and could use a hand."  
  
"I know." said Buffy, sheepishly.  
  
Xander just sighed.  
  
"Alright, I'll stop with the lecture for now. Try to get back to sleep. That's the best thing you could do to get over this bug."  
  
Buffy closed her eyes and pretty soon was peacefully sleeping. He sat there for a little longer just watching her and then got up and walked out of the room.  
  
As he headed back to his room he heard someone moaning. He quickly determined that it was coming from Willow and Tara's room. He walked over and opened the door. He looked inside and found Tara sitting up on her side of the bed. He quickly walked over to her.  
  
"Are you ok?"  
  
"I don't feel so good." she moaned.  
  
"Alright, let's get you to the bathroom."  
  
He helped her standup and walk to the bathroom. When he got there he held her while she leaned over the toilet. She also had to vomit. When she was done he once again wet a washcloth and used it to clean off her face. After he gave her some water he helped her back to her bed. He sat there with her while she tried to get back to sleep. After she fell off to sleep he quietly got up and took a look at Willow. She appeared to still be sleeping.  
  
On the way back to the guestroom he looked in on Dawn. She appeared to be asleep. He got back into his bed and closed his eyes.  
  
About an hour later he was once again up and this time he was helping Dawn. An hour after that it was Willow.  
  
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He woke up the next day at about 8:30 in the morning. He looked in on the four girls and they were all still in dreamland. He washed and dressed and went downstairs to make something for breakfast. While he was there he called the school and let them know that Dawn was not going to be in today. He also told them that Buffy would also not be in.  
  
He made himself a quick cheese omelet and toast. He washed it down with some orange juice and coffee. He then made up four servings of soft-boiled eggs. He put them on the tray with four glasses of orange juice and made his way back upstairs.  
  
He walked into Dawn's room first and regretfully woke her up.  
  
"How are you feeling Dawnie?"  
  
"Still pretty miserable."  
  
"I would expect so. It usually takes a few days for the flu to work its way out of your system. Here are some eggs I made for you. I'll put the orange juice on your night table."  
  
He handed her the eggs and then walked out of her room. His next stop was Willow and Tara's room. When he walked in he noticed that this time it was Willow that was up and watching Tara sleep. He was again touched by this show of affection.  
  
He walked quietly over to the bed and put a hand on Willow's arm. She turned around and smiled at him. He returned the smile.  
  
"How are you feeling?"  
  
"Not so good."  
  
"Understandable. Why don't you wake up Tara? I have some soft-boiled eggs for you girls."  
  
Willow gently shook Tara awake and Xander handed each of them a bowl. He put the glasses of juice on the night tables.  
  
"I'll be back in a little bit. Try to eat some of it at least."  
  
He walked out of their room and made it to his final destination, Buffy's room. When he walked in he noticed that she was just waking up. He smiled at her.  
  
"Good morning sleepy head. How do you feel?"  
  
"Pretty miserable still."  
  
"I figured as much. Here's breakfast. I know that you probably don't even want to think about food, but try to eat at least some of it."  
  
He handed her the bowl and then sat down next to her on the bed. He smiled at her while she ate the eggs in small portions. When she finished it he took the bowl from her. He then handed her the glass of OJ. She slowly sipped it. After a moment she handed it back to her. He placed it on her night table.  
  
He placed his hand on her fore head. He could feel that she was still running a fever.  
  
"Why don't you try to get some more sleep. You could use it."  
  
"Ok."  
  
He pulled the covers back up and over her. He then leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. She smiled at him. He then picked up the bowl and walked out of her room. He went through the same procedure with the other three girls.  
  
This time around Willow was able to keep the eggs down. Dawn, Buffy and Tara on the other hand had to be helped to the bathroom again. This was about an hour after breakfast.  
  
He spent the day reading and talking with the girls. He spent some time with each of them. He even sat there and watched them sleep at times. After all, these were his girls and he was looking after them.  
  
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The next day all four girls were starting to feel better. They were all feeling well enough that they came down stairs to eat breakfast with him in the kitchen. This time he made them some oatmeal. He had made himself some poached eggs on toast. He had called them out again today.  
  
"So, how are you four feeling this morning?" asked Xander.  
  
"Better. Still a little warm, but better than the last couple of days." replied Buffy.  
  
"Happy to hear that. I called you guys out again today." said Xander.  
  
"Thanks." said Buffy.  
  
They spent the rest of the day playing card and board games. They also just talked for awhile.  
  
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By Saturday morning they were all feeling much better. Xander took each of their temperatures and they were all back to normal. He cooked the all breakfast and then they sat around talking for a little bit.  
  
"Well since you're all feeling better I guess I'll move back home today." said Xander.  
  
The four girls looked a little sad at this. They had gotten used to Xander being there the last few days. Around one o'clock he took off for his apartment.  
  
"We should do something for him." said Willow.  
  
"Yeah, he really went out of his way to take care of all four of us this week." said Tara.  
  
"Why don't we cook him dinner? He's been waiting on us these last few days, why don't we treat him to a nice meal?" suggested Buffy.  
  
"Does anyone know what his favorite dish is?" asked Dawn.  
  
"Well, he'll eat almost anything but he has always really liked lasagna." said Willow.  
  
"That's sounds good. I have a recipe that was mom's that is really good. Let's see what we have on hand and what we have to buy." said Buffy.  
  
They made up a list and went to the store. The quickly bought what they needed and brought it home. About four o'clock they started putting it all together. Tara and Willow worked on the lasagna, Dawn made up some garlic bread and a salad and Buffy made some chocolate pudding for dessert. Dawn called Xander and asked him to come over at six.  
  
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A few minutes after six o'clock Xander walked in the front door of the Summers house. Something really smelled good in there.  
  
"Hello?" said Xander.  
  
"Hi Xand, come on in to the kitchen." said Buffy.  
  
He walked in and was floored at what he saw. The table was set for five and sitting on it was the best looking lasagna he had ever seen.  
  
"We wanted to thank you for taking care of us the last few days. You really didn't have to, but you did. Sit down and enjoy." said Buffy.  
  
"I have to disagree with you their Buffy. It was my job to take care of you girls. I care about all four of you and wasn't going to leave you here to fend for yourselves." said Xander.  
  
The four women looked at him and saw the sincerity in his eyes. They also saw the love that was in there for the four of them. Willow, Tara and Dawn all walked over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Buffy on the other hand gave him a quick peck on the lips. She then blushed furiously and sat down at the table. Xander stood there for a moment and then sat down next to her. The other girls also sat down.  
  
They quickly demolished the salad and lasagna. After the girls cleared away the dishes they brought out the pudding. That was soon polished off as well. After everything was cleaned up they retired to the living room. They talked for a number of hours before Xander bade them all a good night and left for his apartment.  
  
On the drive back to his place all he could think about was that quick kiss from Buffy. He hoped that it was the start of something, but he would not force her. If she truly did want to get involved then he would let her do it at her own pace. He had waited for her this long, he could wait longer. Now that he knew that there was a possibility he could wait forever for her.  
  
END 


	2. The Flu 2

1. The characters from the Buffy: The Vampire Slayer show belong to WB (and/or UPN), Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, Sandollar and Joss Whedon. The others are original characters created by myself.  
  
Flu2  
  
by Scott R. Barnett  
  
That morning three girls were standing around in the kitchen talking.  
  
"We have to go in there and talk to her." said Dawn.  
  
"I agree. I can't stand to see her moping around here any longer." said Willow.  
  
Tara nodded her head in agreement.  
  
The three girls walked into the living room and sat down. Willow and Tara grabbed the couch across from where Buffy was sitting, while Dawn sat down next to her sister.  
  
"What's up guys?" asked Buffy.  
  
"We want to know when you're going to ask him?" asked Willow.  
  
"What are you talking about?" asked Buffy.  
  
"Xander. When are you going to ask him to take you out? We're tired of seeing you moping around." replied Willow.  
  
"I am not moping." said Buffy, defensively.  
  
"Yes you are. You have been for the last two weeks. Ever since he took care of us when we all had the flu. It's obvious to a blind man that you finally realized that you're in love with him. What are you going to do about it?" said Dawn.  
  
"He's one of my best friends. I can't date him." argued Buffy.  
  
"Yes you can. He's been in love with you since our sophomore year of high school." said Willow.  
  
"Yeah. Besides, we want to see him around here more. We miss having him here." said Dawn.  
  
Willow and Tara nodded their heads to this.  
  
"You guys think we could work?" asked Buffy, starting to bend.  
  
"Definitely. You two were made for each other. Just look at how often he's helped you out in the past. He's always around helping you out. Whether it is patrolling, or just normal stuff. Hell, he even comes over and mows the lawn for you." said Tara.  
  
"Heck, if I wasn't gay I'd jump at the chance of getting together with him." said Willow.  
  
"You sure?" asked Buffy.  
  
"Yes, we're sure. Just tell him how you feel and see what happens." said Dawn.  
  
"Alright. I'll do it. You're right, I am in love with him. I think I have been for a while, but with Angel, and then Riley around, I never saw it for what it was." said Buffy.  
  
The three girls smiled at this. They were happy that Buffy had finally realized what the three of them already knew.  
  
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That afternoon Willow and Tara took Dawn to see a movie. Or that is what they told Buffy they were doing. She couldn't go as she had a paper to do for school. In actuality they were going over to Xander's apartment.  
  
When they got there they knocked on the door. They knew that he would be home as it was a Saturday and he did not have to work today.  
  
The door opened up to reveal Xander dressed in an old T-shirt and jeans.  
  
"Hello ladies, what can I do for you?" asked Xander  
  
"We need to talk." said Willow.  
  
"Ok, come on in." said Xander.  
  
They walked in and sat down in the living room area. The three girls sat down on the couch across from Xander.  
  
"What's up?" asked Xander.  
  
"We want to know when you're going to ask her?" said Tara.  
  
"Huh?" replied Xander.  
  
"Buffy. We want to know when you're going to ask her out." said Dawn.  
  
"I can't do that. She's one of my best friends. Besides, she's not interested in me like that." said Xander, somewhat dejectedly.  
  
"That's not true. She's been moping around the house for the last two weeks, ever since you took care of us when we all had the flu. We think she finally realized that she does have feelings for you." said Willow.  
  
"Are you sure? I've been down this road before, and I don't think I could take the rejection again. I've loved her since our sophomore year of high school and its not gone away." said Xander.  
  
"We're sure. We're positive that she'll say yes if you ask her out." said Tara.  
  
"Besides, we're tired of you moping around here at your apartment. We want to see more of you regularly at our house. You know that we love you Xander, just like you love us. We're not going to set you up for a fall. Buffy's perfect for you, and you're perfect for her." said Willow.  
  
Xander just sat there for a few minutes thinking over what the three girls had said. He had loved all three of them for so long like sisters. He knew they wouldn't hurt him if they could help it.  
  
"All right. I'll do it. Why don't we go to the Bronze tonight and I'll ask her then." said Xander.  
  
"Good. Come over for dinner and then we'll go to the Bronze afterwards." offered Willow.  
  
"Ok." said Xander.  
  
They sat there and talked for a little while longer. He gave each of them a kiss on the cheek when they left. They all smiled at him.  
  
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That night Xander arrived at the Summers household at six o'clock. He had changed into a nice shirt and slacks. He was also wearing a sports coat. He rang the doorbell and waited to be let in. He heard someone yell that it was unlocked.  
  
He walked in and stopped in shock. All four girls were standing there wearing the proverbial little black dress. He was floored by this. They all looked stunning.  
  
"Uh. Wow! You all look great!" said Xander.  
  
The four of them smiled at him and led him back out the door. Willow explained that they had decided to go out for dinner. Xander held the front passenger door open for Buffy and then opened the back doors for the other girls. Tara quickly told Xander, after Buffy had gotten in, that they had talked Buffy into dressing up for this. He thanked her for that.  
  
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After dinner, which was at a nice Italian restaurant, they drove to the Bronze. When they got there they parked the car and walked into the club.  
  
As they were walking in, their little group got a lot of attention. Part of it was because Willow and Tara were walking in, in front of them, arm in arm. As for Xander, well he had Buffy on one arm and Dawn on the other. The girls had arranged this, he just went along with it.  
  
When they got to an open table the next surprise happened. Dawn, Tara and Willow all gave him a kiss on the cheek. Buffy, once again, kissed him quickly on the lips. They then all sat down. Buffy was blushing furiously, and wouldn't look his way for a few minutes.  
  
They ordered some drinks when the waitress came by and then sat there and talked for awhile. About twenty minutes into the time they were there the band started playing.  
  
Xander looked a little nervous, but with reassuring smiles from Tara, Willow and Dawn, while Buffy was not looking, he got up and asked Buffy to dance with him. She looked a little nervous as well, but she shyly told him yes. He held out his hand and she got off the chair and took it. He led her onto the dance floor and they started dancing.  
  
After a couple of fast songs the band switched to a slow one. Xander looked down at Buffy to see if she wanted to stay out there. She smiled at him kind of shyly and moved into his arms for the slow song. Reassured by this move, Xander put his arms around her and led her through the dance. They continued dancing for about half an hour, including to several slow songs.  
  
The whole time they were dancing Xander couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was so beautiful and he couldn't believe that she was here dancing with him after all this time. They just stared into each other's eyes while they danced. Xander saw in her eyes what he had always hoped to see. Love. And it was directed at him. He hoped that he was expressing that with his eyes as well.  
  
During the last slow song he saw her close her eyes while she was looking up at him and smiling. He had been smiling down at her. He lowered his head and, placing his lips to hers, he kissed her softly. They kissed like that for a moment before Buffy deepened it. Xander followed her move. He would not force her though. He had already made the decision that he would only go as far as she was willing to go. He would let her take the lead in this and show him how far she wanted to go.  
  
When the song ended they broke apart and walked back to the table. They saw that Willow, Tara and Dawn were all out on the dance floor. They sat down at the empty table and just held hands and smiled at each other for a little while.  
  
"Buffy."  
  
"Xander."  
  
They smiled at each other when they realized that they had started talking at the same time. Xander indicated that Buffy should go first.  
  
"Xander, I want to let you know that this isn't just a thank you for taking care of us. It's more than that. That is, if it is what you want as well. I love you Xander. I think that I have for a while, but I just couldn't see it for what it was before now. I just realized it today when I was talking this morning with Willow, Tara and Dawn. I'd like to see you as more than just a best friend."  
  
Xander just looked at her for a moment. He then smiled at her.  
  
"I love you too Buffy. I have for a long time now. I never stopped loving you. I've wanted this for so long, but I thought that you would never see me as more than just a friend. I want to see where this new relationship will go, if you're willing. I have to thank you for finally giving me a chance."  
  
"I think you always had a chance Xander. I was just too blind to see it before."  
  
After this they kissed again. Then they sat there holding hands and smiling at each other. A little bit latter they went back out onto the dance floor and danced for a while longer.  
  
When they made it back to the table this time the three girls were back. In fact they were smiling at the fact that Buffy and Xander were holding hands on the way back. The two of them blushed a little at this and the three girls giggled at them.  
  
"Buffy, I think we were set up, by the way." said Xander.  
  
"Why do you say that?" asked Buffy.  
  
"You said that you were talking to these three this morning when you realized your feeling for me? Well, they came over this afternoon to talk to me about you." said Xander.  
  
"Oh." said Buffy.  
  
"Tattletale." said Dawn, and stuck her tongue out at Xander.  
  
Everyone laughed at this. Buffy and Xander didn't mind if their friends had set them up. They were both happy with the results. It just showed that their friends just had better smarts then they did.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
After that night, Xander and Buffy started dating regularly. They tried to take it slow. They wanted to make sure that what they were feeling for each other was indeed love. They were sure of it after just a couple of weeks of dating.  
  
Dawn, Willow and Tara were extremely happy with the results of their plan. Xander and Buffy seemed to be very much in love and this made them very happy. In fact, three months after they started dating, Xander proposed to Buffy. She said yes. Everyone was very happy for them. They even called Giles in England to give him the great news. He was very happy and told them that he was glad that they had finally gotten together.  
  
Shortly after this Xander moved out of his apartment and into their house with Buffy. This seemed right to everyone. It seemed to them that their family was now complete.  
  
END 


End file.
